INTERVIEW: Shelter dogs are main focus of new show ‘To the Rescue’
Photo: To the Rescue follows the struggles and triumphs of rescue dogs. Photo courtesy of To the Rescue / Provided by official site with permission.
Tommy Habeeb, who has been involved in the TV industry for a number of years, now wants to give back. He has been a longtime advocate for dogs in shelters and the power of adoption, and now he’s taking his love for canines on a national scale with the new syndicated show To the Rescue.
The series, which follows the challenges and triumphs of shelter dogs, will premiere Saturday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m. in more than 200 markets across the United States. The show highlights the hard work of shelter staff members across the country and the kind people who foster and adopt dogs that are in great need of help. Of course, the pooches steal the show.
This is a passion project for Habeeb. “When I was doing television as an actor and producer, I wasn’t that focused on rescue,” he said in a recent phone interview. “It just so happened at this point in my career, it was time to do something. I’ve got a huge platform, so why not get up there and really tell the stories of these unsung [heroes] that are out there everyday rescuing these dogs and saving lives and making such a huge difference. So I spent the last two and a half years making a television show and getting it cleared and doing all the difficult things going down that path to get that done, and we are so proud of what we have accomplished, mainly because the industry has welcomed us seeing what we’re doing. The rescue industry is big and tight-knit, so when they’re all on our team, we know we’re doing something right.”
When Habeeb was pitching the show, he heard from station executives that this could be a a cute dog show for children, but he quickly corrected their assumptions, telling them that To the Rescue is a family entertainment show that offers viewers a serious roller-coaster ride of emotions.
“It’s a three-act play,” he said. “We take you down to places that are hard to see with these dogs, and then we triumph at the end. I look at it like Rocky. You get the dog that nobody wants — he’s the misfit, he’s un-adoptable, he’s that guy that nobody has faith in — and then at the end, they find him a forever home. That dog changes lives. You change his life, and he changes yours. I think this show is more about humanity than anything. We worked very hard. I think it’s important to tell that story of human life and behavior and the difficult times we’re going through today and then how the unconditional love of a dog can change your life, and you think that you’re helping that dog, but really it’s amazing what that dog will do to you and your family. I’m speaking from my heart.”
The dire need for more people to adopt dogs is a global issue, and Habeeb hopes that he and his team are going to tap into the public’s sentiments and enthusiasm. He said the world is losing too many of these animals to overpopulated conditions in shelters.
“You hear about it, but when you witness it, it’s a tough thing,” he said. “I have a platform, and I have a foundation [Forever Family Rescue]. And my goal is to rescue on the show and then raise as much money as we can to then go and help wipe out these kill shelters. We’re doing partnerships with cities where if a first responder, police officer, vet, firefighter … will foster a dog out of a kill shelter, we’ll pay for everything. All you have to do is give that dog love. We’ll pay for the food, veterinary care, everything that they need.”
He added: “We can make a dent state by state and hopefully get rid of this problem.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
To the Rescue, featuring Tommy Habeeb, will premiere in more than 200 markets Saturday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m. Click here for more information.
